Editor’s note: In September, Hurricane Helene barreled through the Southeast and devastated parts of North Carolina. Recovery efforts are still underway, particularly in the severely affected areas of North Carolina’s mountains and foothills, while less-impacted areas prepare to welcome fall tourists, recognizing that the state’s visitor economy will depend on a strong return of businesses, services, experiences, and other tourism essentials. Visit North Carolina has shared an interactive map indicating which areas of the state are safe to visit and which should be avoided as they work hard to rebuild. Now, more than ever, visitors to North Carolina are encouraged to travel responsibly and support local businesses as they explore the state’s open areas. Find more information at Visit North Carolina’s website.
Where to Play, Eat, and Stay in North Carolina’s Beautiful Brunswick Islands
North Carolina’s coastline is not one for high-drama displays like towering cliffs or waves crashing onto rocky shores. Instead, the land eases itself into the ocean and vice-versa—low-lying coastal wetlands are saturated by seawater, and these intermingling ecosystems create an extensive landscape of salty marshes and sandy swampland that’s not fully submerged but also not entirely solid.
This mellow natural environment sets the tone for the character of the Brunswick Islands, exuding a tranquility and feeling of ease that inspires people to return. The islands’ central location also serves as a respite from Myrtle Beach’s carnival chaos or Wilmington’s city pace while being within close access of both.
A brief window into the Brunswick Islands
Photo: iofoto/Shutterstock
The Brunswick Islands, which function as the earthen barrier between the mainland and the ocean, encompass five islands, each displaying their own distinct character. As the smallest and least developed of the islands, Sunset Beach is an ideal location for birding and biking. Ocean Isle Beach is livelier, with surfers and fishing charters careening through the waves, while bars and restaurants pop up between the palms.
At Holden Beach, shrimp boats chug along the water, and kayakers set off to explore the nearby rivers and inlets. Oak Island is the largest of the islands and has a community feel — it’s popular among fishermen and is home to many locals. Bald Head Island is for vacationers looking for an escape, as it’s accessible only by boat, and no cars are permitted on the island. It’s also famous for its sea turtles, which are protected by a conservancy that offers educational and exploratory programs for visitors.
Things to do in the Brunswick Islands
Write secret notes at Sunset Beach
Photo: NC’s Brunswick Islands
Sunset Beach is not only aesthetically pleasing with its clean beige sand, windblown grassy dunes, and soft-hued houses set back from the shoreline but also an inspiration for artists and romantics. It’s best known as the location of the Kindred Spirit Mailbox, a remote mailbox that serves as a beachside confessional, inviting passersby to write their thoughts and wishes anonymously into notebooks. As the inspiration for Nicolas Sparks’ novel Every Breath, the mailbox has become a beacon for dreamers and souls searching for moments of quiet reflection. It can be found by walking or biking one mile down the beach from the edge of town at the 40th Street Beach Access and is best done at low tide.
Inland from Sunset Beach is Bird Island, a barrier island system that’s one of the few remaining protected natural island areas in the region. Thanks to community efforts to classify these 1,000 acres as a natural reserve, Bird Island is not only exceptional for birdwatching but also fosters a healthy ecosystem to support diverse animal and plant wildlife throughout Brunswick County. Keen observers can spot a number of avian inhabitants there, such as winter sparrows, black skimmers, and horned grebes.
As the reserve is primarily marshland that suits wildlife more than humans, Bird Island is mostly inaccessible except for a short walking trail, the entrance to which can be found nearby to the Kindred Spirit Mailbox.
Sunset Beach: 101 W Main St, Sunset Beach, NC 28468
Bird Island: 101 W Main St, Sunset Beach, NC 28468
Go seafood crazy in Calabash
Photo: NC’s Brunswick Islands
At the crossroads of maritime history and Southern sentimentality is the small town of Calabash, where motor yachts and fishing boats are moored along the docks of the Calabash River with their nets hoisted aloft in preparation for their next voyage. Flocks of seagulls move in unison as if choreographed, and boat-tailed grackles, iridescent blue-green birds with a distinctive chattering bird call, dart among the trees.
Overlooking the picturesque marina is the Waterfront Seafood Shack, where fresh seafood is served on sunny outdoor patios under thatched umbrellas. The local catch is cooked up in a number of preparations — Carolina flounder blackened in a coating of spices, or steaming pots of shellfish served with hushpuppies and deep-fried corn. The town has a reputation for being the “Seafood Capital of the World” thanks to its abundance of restaurants serving seafood in the lightly deep-fried Calabash-style.
The town’s popular local gift shops, Callahan’s of Calabash and St. Nick Nacks, feature all manner of home goods and apparel, indulging primarily in the enduring themes of word art and Christmas. The store bursts at the seams with a robust inventory of folksy wisecracks scrawled in cursive across wood planks, glitter-sprinkled tee-shirts emblazoned with seashells, and life-size Nutcracker statues.
Waterfront Seafood Shack: 9945 Nance St, Calabash, NC 28467
Callahan’s of Calabash: 9973 Beach Dr SW, Calabash, NC 28467
St. Nick Nacks: 9973 Beach Dr SW, Calabash, NC 28467
See hungry plants at the Green Swamp Preserve
Photo: Little daisy/Shutterstock
Spread out across 16,000 acres of protected lands, the Green Swamp Preserve hosts a variety of remarkable plant and animal species, such as 14 different plants that feed on insects, the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, and many orchids.
The mostly flat, 2.6-mile out-and-back trail begins alongside a still pond, its lustrous surface mirroring the trees and sky. The trail is surrounded on all sides by a tranquil savanna of longleaf pines, their vertical gray trunks streaking sun rays over a carpet of pine needles atop soft white sand. A boardwalk passes over a section of mud and stagnant puddles, an advantageous breeding ground for insects.
Once the trail reunites with solid ground, feathery ferns and exposed roots crowd the narrow path. Growing in clusters low to the ground are the Venus flytraps, their gaping jaws lined with toothy tendrils, appearing cartoonish despite the discarded insect carcasses clinging to cobwebs nearby. The purple pitcher plant bears a striking resemblance to raw flesh, its thick, bulbous form in stark contrast to the common plants, which appear docile next to these sedentary hunters.
The trailhead is located next to a small parking area at the turn off from the road. Ensure your safety when venturing into the Green Swamp Preserve by bringing plenty of water, wearing sturdy shoes, and carrying bug spray to protect from mosquitos and ticks. It’s easy to get lost, so stay on the trail and follow the red diamond markings.
Green Swamp Preserve: 673 Green Swamp Rd NW, Supply, NC 28462
Embrace small-town living in Southport
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It doesn’t take long after arriving in Southport to understand why the town is frequently featured in TV and movies, cast as either the idyllic seaside refuge for tragic lovers in a Nicolas Sparks’ novel or standing in as the sinister backdrop for teen slasher films like I Know What You Did Last Summer. This tiny maritime town evokes an overwhelming sense of safety and serenity, sentiments that are primed to seamlessly pivot between romance and horror.
Without question, the most overheard word floating out of mouths around town is “quaint.” In Southport, white picket fences encircle pastel Victorian-style homes, and bells tinkle their welcome over the doors of mom-and-pop shops. In the center of town is Franklin Square Park, a trimmed green landscape shaded by a century-old collection of massive live oaks, their weighty trunks and gnarled branches bringing to life an enduring symbol of the South. The Southport Baptist Church is topped with a steeple, and the Old Brunswick County Jail has been rehabilitated into a more inviting second life as a museum. The signage all over town is charming in its vintage appearance, and waterfront eateries with names like Fishy Fishy and Frying Pan are where hungry diners often rub elbows with Hollywood production assistants.
Visitors can learn more about the history of the town at the North Carolina Maritime Museum, which tells the stories of fearsome pirates and devastating storms.
Old Brunswick County Jail: 318 E Nash St, Southport, NC 28461
Fishy Fishy: 106 Yacht Basin Dr, Southport, NC 28461
Frying Pan: 319 W Bay St, Southport, NC 28461
North Carolina Maritime Museum: 204 E Moore St, Southport, NC 28461
Cruise the Cape Fear River
Photo: NC’s Brunswick Islands
On Southport’s waterfront is Yacht Basin, where breezy restaurant patios gaze out over a marina bobbing with boats and buzzing with seagulls. Tour boats regularly escort visitors out onto the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway for sightseeing and sunset cruises. The knowledgeable, friendly guides from Southport Water Tours present entertaining details regarding the area’s history, culture, and wildlife.
During the tour, it’s possible to catch sight of the breeching dorsal fins of bottle-nose dolphins, or spot brown pelicans flying low across the surface of the water as they scout for fish. Wildlife-watching opportunities are common, as sea turtles, eagle rays, and white ibis inhabit these waters but fluctuate in numbers depending on the season.
The Cape Fear River, once hesitantly navigated by pirates and Spanish sailors, received its foreboding name from the terror it inspired with its feisty currents and ever-shifting sandbars. On Battery Island, the last naturally growing palm tree this far north can be seen standing in solitude, marking an unofficial boundary of where the Lowcountry, a geographical and cultural region that exists primarily in South Carolina, ventures above the state line before coming to an abrupt end at this lonely palm.
Sightseeing cruises operate every day between 1 PM and 5 PM. Sunset cruise sets off at 6 PM. Tours last for 50 minutes but do not run in the off-season between the end of November and the beginning of March. Buy tickets in advance online or at the ticket booth next to the dock.
Southport Water Tours: 112 Yacht Basin Dr, Southport, NC 28461
Explore Oak Island
Photo: NC’s Brunswick Islands
A once-essential instrument in analog maritime navigation and a feat of engineering designed to impress in both form and function, the lighthouse is now a relic of history, a dropped pin in a world powered by satellites instead of whale oil. The last lighthouse constructed in North Carolina, the Oak Island Lighthouse was prioritized for practicality rather than the design elements that characterize older lighthouses, such as spiral staircases or pretty paint jobs. But it’s managed to retain its own particular charms, and despite an update to LED lighting, the lighthouse still flaunts its distinctive flash pattern, an identifier used by sailors to pinpoint their exact location and consequently the most expressive feature of a lighthouse’s personality.
For visitors, the Oak Island Lighthouse’s foremost attraction is the view from the top, which requires braving the 131 metal stairs of a ship’s ladder to climb up to the gallery level. For those who can manage heights, the view of Oak Island and the surrounding landscape is well worth it, as top-down views are few and far between in the Brunswick Islands, owing to the flat landscape and lack of high rise structures.
On Oak Island is Caswell Beach, where prickly-pear cacti and yellow goldenrod flourish along the grassy dunes that separate the road from the beach. As with most of Brunswick Islands’ beaches, a far-reaching pier extends out from the shore, flanked by the mounted poles of fisherman waiting to lure in the black drum or king mackerel that roam in the waters. Several eateries congregate near the pier, and the iced coffees and freshly prepared sandwiches at Ruby’s Coffeehouse make for an excellent meal before a stroll out over the ocean.
Tours to the top of Oak Island Lighthouse are free and offered year-round in the morning except on major holidays. Reservations must be made in advance; instructions can be found here.
Oak Island Lighthouse: 300a Caswell Beach Rd, Oak Island, NC 28465
Oak Island Pier: 705 Ocean Drive, Oak Island, NC 28465
Ruby’s Coffeehouse: 705 Ocean Dr, Oak Island, NC 28465
Raise a toast at the Silver Coast Winery
The backroads drive into the Silver Coast Winery runs astride compact fields of grapevines, prompting anticipation of what lies ahead. Many visitors come here for the wine tasting, which offers a selection of four wines generously poured by the welcoming wine sellers in the tasting room, including less common blends such as white merlot and seyval blanc. The climate and conditions in the area are hospitable to growing only a few grape varieties, muscadine and scuppernong, which produce sweeter wines. The winery also bottles European-style wines with grapes sourced from as far afield as California. Glasses or bottles can be enjoyed on the outdoor terrace, while wandering through the winery’s art gallery featuring works from local artists, or during one of the venue’s live music performances.
Silver Coast Winery: 6680 Barbeque Rd NW, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469
Adventure outdoors at The Swamp Park
Glide through the Shallotte River’s murky waters on an eco-friendly boat tour at The Swamp Park, where neon green algae blooms on the surface and Spanish moss drapes from the branches of old cypress trees. But the environment’s tranquility is undermined by the knowledge of what’s lurking beneath the dark, motionless water: alligators.
While alligators often move undetected, completely obscured except for their yellow reptilian eyes peering above the surface, they can sometimes be seen resting on the riverbank, their dragon-scale bodies drying in the sun and jaws showing off threatening underbites. Rest assured that if no alligators are spotted during your tour, there’s a resident gator crew living safely behind barriers, where visitors can observe their striking similarity to dinosaurs.
The Swamp Park also offers more physically challenging activities, such as a zip-line, ATV tours, and an aerial adventure course.
The Swamp Park: 5550 Watts Rd SW, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469
Watch the sun rise and set over the water
Photo: iofoto/Shutterstock
An oddity (and advantage) of the Brunswick Islands is its unexpected orientation — the beaches don’t face east but are instead turned toward the south. Depending on the time of year, that means that the sun is sometimes in a unique position to rise over the ocean in the morning only to drop down into it again at sunset.
Sunset views are not limited to the beach, however. Another prime location for enjoying the sunset is to look out over the Intracoastal Waterway, where waterfront hotels and restaurants set up a superb sunset foreground. Jinks Creek Restaurant on Ocean Isle Beach is a popular vantage point where diners can enjoy oysters on the half shell and glasses of cold white wine on a spacious second-floor outdoor patio, looking out from above as the fading light of the day reflects a glowing orange over the marshland of the waterway.
Jinks Creek Restaurant: 14 Causeway Dr, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469
Where to eat in the Brunswick Islands
Inlet View Bar and Grill
The fresh seafood at the family-run Inlet View Bar and Grill is locally sourced through eco-conscious means. Due to overfishing and regulations designed to protect seafood stocks in the waters around North Carolina, many restaurants serve imported seafood in lieu of the local stuff. As the owners of one of the few shrimp boats still operating in the area and a member of the Brooklyn Catch program, Inlet View retains access to the daily harvests of local fishermen, from shrimp and blue crabs to grouper. The aim is to protect the livelihoods of the now-fragile fishing industry while conserving the precious natural resource.
Perched at the edge of the inlet, the three-floor restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating for the option to escape the heat of the day or to take in the sunset. For a taste of the local flavors, the Carolina seafood platter is a selection of shrimp, oysters, flounder, deviled crab, or clam strips, while the hushpuppies are prepared using a sweet-and-spicy long-time family recipe. Note that the restaurant has limited hours and is only open on Thursday through Sunday.
Inlet View Bar and Grill: 1800 Village Point Rd SW, Shallotte, NC 28470
Provision Company
Originally a wholesale fish house in the 1970s, Provision Company also served as a storefront selling fishing charters and a boat repair shop before opening as a restaurant in 1993. The restaurant, which has been family-run for 30 years, kept the name and original signage and now serves fresh local seafood specialties on a casual waterfront patio. Diners pass through slapping screen doors upon entering and have a full view of the busy kitchen, where orders are shouted from the cashiers and heaping plates of food are hustled outside.
The restaurant prepares its own homemade sauces, and the dinner specials bring together tasty combinations of peel-and-eat shrimp, crab cakes, and corn on the cob. Outside, the patio is humming with activity, as servers whisk around tables with trays overflowing with thick tuna sandwiches and steaming clam chowder. Occasionally, a dinner bell is rung to honor the generosity of an above-average tipper.
A row of bar seating overlooks the dock; however, the privilege of admiring the scenic marina view requires a defensive strategy. The seagulls hovering overhead are just as hungry as everyone else, and they’re not afraid to dive bomb untended plates of pink shrimp.
Provision Company: 130 Yacht Basin Dr, Southport, NC 28461
Where to stay in the Brunswick Islands
The Sunset Inn
On the banks of a saltwater marsh on Sunset Beach is the Sunset Inn, a coastal retreat with elegant Southern charm and modern comforts. Each room incorporates a theme, whether it’s paying homage to a particular southern locale or highlighting the beauty of the native plant life. The decor reflects elements of the natural surroundings and the local tastes, expressed with pastel hues, maritime imagery, and beach flair. The rooms are designed with screened back porches that overlook the waterway, setting up views of birds gliding over the tall tea-green grass and cloudless sunsets. Overstuffed hanging planters line the wrap-around porches, where sunlight slants between white-washed patio railings and recedes into the shadows at the feet of rocking chairs, an almost obligatory piece of furniture in this region.
The Sunset Inn: 9 E N Shore Dr, Sunset Beach, NC 28468
Getting to and around the Brunswick Islands
Photo: CeGe/Shutterstock
The Brunswick Islands are equidistant from both the Wilmington and Myrtle Beach Airports, accessible from either by a 45-minute drive. Neither airport is overwhelmingly large or busy, and both have daily connections to and from major cities, so transfers are efficient and convenient.
You’ll need to rent a car to get to and around the Brunswick Islands as there are no other transportation options available. (Car rental agencies operate out of both airports.) Once you have your wheels sorted, GPS makes navigating the islands simple and straightforward, while you’ll also find that many areas are walkable. 